“Yes,” the warden said slowly. “The results are quite . . . unusual.”
“Unusual how?”
“It’s been six weeks since your last visit,” the human said, his hands nervously playing with a pen. “In the past month, we haven’t had a single homicide. In the past three weeks, there have been no fights. I’ve been running this place for twenty years, and I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Saret smiled. “No, I’m sure you haven’t. What was the homicide rate before?”
The man opened a folder and took out a sheet of paper, handing it to Saret. “Take a look. There are usually two or three murders a month and about a fight a day. We can’t figure it out. It’s like all of them had a personality transplant.”
Saret’s smile widened. If only the human knew the truth. Satisfied, he folded the sheet and put it in the pocket of his thermal pants. “You can expect the final payment by tomorrow,” he told the warden and walked out of the room.
He couldn’t wait to get back on his ship and out of the cold.
Chapter 3
The following two days passed uneventfully. Mia spent her time working in the lab and enjoying evenings with Korum, deliriously happy despite their occasional arguments. She had no doubt that he loved her – and it made all th
e difference in the world. One day, she hoped to convince him to see her kind in a different light, to appreciate the fact that humans were more than just an experiment of the Krinar Elders. For now, though, she had to be content with the possibility of an exception being made for her family – something she knew Korum was fighting hard to obtain.
At the lab, the other apprentices were still away, so Mia found herself frequently working alone, surrounded by all the equipment. Saret was in and out, and she would occasionally catch him watching her with an enigmatic expression on his face. Shrugging it off as some weird distrust for his human apprentice, she finished her report and sent it to Saret, hoping that he would give her feedback soon. While waiting, she continued to play around with the simulation, trying different variations of the process and carefully recording the results.
Tuesday was a day off in Lenkarda, and it was also Maria’s birthday. The vivacious girl had sent her a holographic message over the weekend, formally inviting her to the party on the beach at two in the afternoon. Mia had gladly accepted.
“So I don’t get to come?” Korum was lounging on the bed and watching her get ready for the party. His golden eyes gleamed with amusement, and she knew that he was teasing her.
“Sorry, sweetie,” she told him mockingly, twirling in front of the mirror. “No cheren allowed. Charl only.”
He grinned. “Such discrimination.”
She wore the necklace he’d given her and a light floaty dress with a swimsuit underneath – just in case the party involved any swimming in the ocean.
“Yes, well, you know how that goes,” she said, grinning back. “We’re too cool for all you Ks.”
She loved that she could banter with him now. Somehow, almost imperceptibly, their relationship had assumed a more equal footing. He still liked to be in control – and he could still be incredibly domineering on occasion – but she was beginning to feel like she could stand up to him. The knowledge that he loved her, that her thoughts and opinions mattered to him, was very liberating.
“All right,” she said, bending down to give him a chaste kiss on the cheek, “I have to run.”
Before she could pull away, however, his arm snaked around her waist, and she found herself flat on her back on the bed, pinned down by his large muscular body.
“Korum!” She wriggled, trying to get away. “I’m running late! You told me yourself it’s an insult to be late –”
“One kiss,” he cajoled, holding her effortlessly. She could see the familiar signs of arousal on his face and feel his cock hardening against her leg. Her body reacted in predictable fashion, her insides clenching in anticipation and her breathing picking up.
She shook her head. “No, we can’t . . .”
“Just one kiss,” he promised, lowering his head. His mouth was hot and skillful on hers, his tongue caressing the inside of her lips, and Mia could feel herself melting on the spot, a pleasurable fog engulfing her mind. Before she could completely forget herself, however, he stopped, lifting his head and carefully rolling off her.
“Go,” he said, and there was a wicked smile on his face. “I don’t want you to be late.”
Frustrated, Mia got up and threw a pillow at him. “You’re evil,” she told him. Now she was extremely turned on, and she wouldn’t get a chance to see him for the next few hours. The only thing that made her feel better was the fact that he would suffer equally.
“Just wanted you to hurry back, that’s all,” he said, grinning, and Mia threw another pillow at him before grabbing Maria’s gift and heading out the door.
She managed not to be late, although all twelve of the other charl were already there when she arrived. Maria’s invitation message had told her there would be thirteen girls total, including Mia herself.
An unusual musical mix was playing somewhere in the background. The sounds were beautiful, and Mia recognized the melody that Korum sometimes played in the house. However, interspersed with the popular Krinar tune, she could hear the more familiar flute and violin undertones.
The girls were sitting on floating chairs arranged in a circle around a large hovering plank that apparently served as a picnic table. The table was piled high with all manner of delicious-looking fruit and various exotic dishes.